A comparison of XHTML and HTML5 code for web pages that appear identical would show that:
XHTML and HTML5 are both markup languages used to create web pages, but there are some key differences between the two.
XHTML is a stricter and more structured version of HTML, where all tags must be properly closed and nested correctly. It is based on the XML standard and is considered more precise and error-free.
HTML5, on the other hand, is a more flexible and user-friendly version of HTML that allows for more dynamic and interactive web content. It introduces new elements and attributes that make it easier to embed multimedia and create interactive features.
In terms of code, the basic structure of an XHTML page would look something like this:
```html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Page Title</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Heading</h1>
<p>Hello, world!</p>
</body>
</html>
```
Meanwhile, the same page coded in HTML5 would look like this:
```html
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<title>Page Title</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Heading</h1>
<p>Hello, world!</p>
</body>
</html>
```
Overall, the two code examples may look identical for a simple web page, but the underlying structure and syntax differences between XHTML and HTML5 can have an impact on the functionality and design of the page.